


Birthday Blues

by starwalker42



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, F/M, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, mulder and scully are idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29616234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starwalker42/pseuds/starwalker42
Summary: It's Mulder's birthday, Scully is drunk, and emotions are coming out... but not the way they should be.
Relationships: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully, Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	Birthday Blues

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt from wtfmulder on Tumblr for some terrible miscommunication, which knowing these two is easy. Set around season 6 and the whole Diana fiasco.

Scully is tipsy. Byers thinks she’s actually drunk, if he’s honest, but he’s always been told to take a lady’s word for something, even if that lady is currently slurring her words between sips of a wine bottle.

“I haven’t drank that much,” she maintains, thought the bottle is only half full, and there’s another empty one inside that he knows only she’s touched. “’m fine.”

Again, he bites his tongue, doesn’t ask why she’s out here on the doorstep of the Gunmen’s lair while he and the others are inside, or why there’s mascara smudges under her eyes. But he ought to get her back inside.

He starts, cautiously. “Agent Scully-”

“Byers, we’ve known each other for six years, you can drop the formalities.”

“Scully,” he corrects himself. “Come back inside, it’s freezing.”

“Well, let me call you a cab at least-”

She shakes her head. “Langly wants me here. I sh'uld stay.”

Byers sighs and drops down next to her on the step. “Langly wants you inside, with the rest of us. And so does Mulder.”

“I d'n’t care wha’ Mul'er wants.” The wine slashes angrily in the bottle as she takes another long sip.

 _Nice one Byers_ , he mentally chastises himself. _Struck a nerve there_. And while he knows he shouldn’t, he decides to probe, just a little. He can’t help it.

“I thought you two had got on better recently.” He says softly.

“We have.” She takes another sip. “That’s the problem.”

“Hmm?”

“I… god, it’s so stupid. I know I shouldn’t and I’ve fought it for so long but now… I can’t do this anymore…” she trails off, downing the rest of her wine.

“Scully? I’m not-”

She drops her head in her hands. “I love him, Byers.”

He bites down a decidedly non helpful, sarcastic response of faux surprise, instead placing a hopefully comforting hand on her shoulder. _Wait until Langly and Frohike hear about this._

“And he’s right there, and I’ve had a drink so for once if he asked me I’d say… and he won’t even look at me. Why won’t he look at me?”

 _He won’t look at you because he’s desperately in love with you._ He wants to say. _And because he’s had something to drink and he knows you’d say yes if he asked._

“He’s scared.” He manages. “He’s scared he’ll do the wrong thing.”

She chuffs, her breath clouding in the air. “He’s so stupid sometimes.”

“What’s stopping you from asking him?” Scully has never struck him as one for social protocol, especially if it involves her and her partner.

She raises her head and he can see her eyes shining in the streetlamps’ glow. 

“He doesn’t even see me. All I want is for him to see me.”

xXx

“He doesn’t even see me. All I want is for him to see me.” 

I hear those words and my heart sinks. 

Byers went outside after Scully about five minutes ago, and neither have come back, so I decided to head out myself and… she’s talking about a guy. She’s getting upset over a guy. And I know that I should be annoyed because it’s my birthday, and it’s Langly’s birthday, and we’re just trying to celebrate, but just having her here… she laughed earlier and it might have been the alcohol but all I could think was would it would be like hearing that laugh every day for the rest of my life.

And she loves someone else. Of course she does. 

_She could have anyone in the world, Mulder, why would she choose you?_

And that’s just it, she wouldn’t. She never will. 

It’s not the first time I’ve felt alone on my birthday, but it’s the first time I’ve felt my heart break quite like this.


End file.
